Afterlife
by KryssyBee
Summary: Bella gets into an accident and dies. She's having a hard time accepting the truth and moving on. Will she finally accept her fate? Or is everything not as it seems... ExB pairing  as always
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own the characters. They belong to Stephanie Meyer.**

**So, I saw this movie on TV the other day and thought I could make a story out of it based on Bella and Edward. It's called "After. Life" and it stars, Christina Ricci, Liam Neeson, and Justin Long. It's definitely a creepier movie and hopefully I can make this story work.**

**So, the storyline technically belongs to whoever wrote the script for the movie. But I did some changes, to suit me :) **

**I'm writing this story to get it out of my head so I can go back and finish other ones I've started ! Hope you like it. **

**Chapter 1**

I felt pain everywhere, I couldn't even remember what happened. I tried to move but it just seemed impossible.

I groaned and tried to open my eyes. I quickly shut them because of the blinding light. I tried once more and waited a few moments for my eyes to adjust. A shadowy figure came above me. I waited a few moments for my eyes to adjust and realized I was staring into the eyes of man. I squinted and looked closely but could not recognize this man.

"What happened?" I groaned quietly.

"Shhh…" The man quietly replied. "There was an accident."

I tried to think back to what had happened but my mind came up blank. I noticed the man moved over for a moment and when he came back he had a needle and thread in his hands. "What is that for?"

"I need to close this wound so that your family isn't frightened when they come see the body," he explained calmly to me.

At that moment I felt a slight pinch and my body gave a little twitch. "I don't understand?"

I heard the man sigh, "I've already told you, there was an accident."

"What accident? I don't understand what you're doing."

The man sighed once again and stopped threading whatever was on my forehead and looked down at me, "you died."

**Here's the first chapter, I am thinking this is only going to be a short story. Let's say about 10 or so chapters and each chapter won't be very long. I do however, plan to update every 2nd day, if my net allows me to do so, it's been acting up lately. **

**Please leave some love. Click the button below and review !**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Yeah yeah yeah... I'm a sucker and couldn't stay away so I posted Chapter 2 early :P Don't get use to it though.**

**Also, I've started a forum for my stories. Someone once mentioned I should a long time ago, before I went postal and deleted all my stories (anyways) ... The link to the forum is on my profile, and I hope to check it regularly and hope to see some people there chatting about the stories. **

**Chapter 2**

**EPOV**

I grabbed another test from my stack of papers, and continued to grade. As much as I want to concentrate on my work, I couldn't stop thinking about the fight that I had with Bella. Things had been a little strained between the two of us lately. We had always had a good relationship, but like everyone else, we had rough patches too.

Before I could even go down the path of what the fight had been about, my cell phone began ringing. I quickly fished it from my pocket, and notice the caller ID said Charlie.

"Charlie?" I asked curiously. Charlie hardly ever called me.

The voice on the other end stayed quiet for a moment. Then I heard a small sniffle, "Edward, I need you to come down to the station."

I was immediately on alert, "What's wrong, Charlie?"

"There was an accident on Highway 52, I need you come down to the station now," Charlie answered quietly.

I quickly reached for my jacket, "I'll be there in five minutes."

I hung up the phone and quickly raced out of the high school. I made it to my Volvo and hopped into the driver seat. I immediately put the car in drive and headed towards the police station.

I parked the car quickly and probably a little sideways, but I didn't really care at the moment. I ran up the stairs of the station two at a time and made my way to the front desk.

"I need to see, Charlie." I spoke quickly to the front desk receptionist.

"Edward," I heard from behind me, "follow me." I noticed Charlie's grim expression and immediately felt my body stiffen as to what he was about to say.

I quickly followed and as soon as the door was close, I turned to Charlie and said "What's going on?"

I heard him sigh as he took off his hat and placed it on top of the table. In that moment I noticed that his eyes were filled with tears as he opened his mouth and said, "Bella was in an accident." I shook my head slowly and Charlie started speaking again, "the first to arrive on scene was the mortician Aro, and he quickly called an ambulance. But by the time the ambulance got there, it was already too late." At that moment, Charlie broke down and fell to the floor. He placed his face into his hands and started to cry loudly.

I shook my head back and forth and whispered out, "No." This could not be happening. There had to be some kind of mistake. "Are they sure it's her?" I asked desperately.

Charlie stopped crying for a moment to respond, "I have to go down there to identify the body. I have to identify my baby. How can I go there?"

I swallowed thickly and answered, "I'm coming with you."

Charlie slowly picked himself up off the ground and nodded. He grabbed his hat and placed it back onto his head. He headed for the door and I followed him.

We both sat in silence as we made our way to the funeral home. Forks was such a small town, that the dead bodies were not kept at the hospital. Once declared dead, the mortician came with his van to pick up the body and prepared them for the funeral at the funeral home.

My heart fell into my stomach as we pulled into the funeral home's driveway. I pray that somehow, someone had made a mistake. This could not be the end of us, this could not be it.

We both slowly made our way to the front door and Charlie raised his fist to knock. A few moments passed before we heard the door unlock and it opened to reveal the mortician Aro.

Aro's eyes were filled with sadness as he said, "I'm sorry Chief Swan. Please come in." He opened the door widely so that Charlie and I could pass. "I was not expecting you this evening, I'm sorry to say that I haven't properly prepared the body."

My fists clenched at my side as I said, "Her name is Bella."

"Of course, I'm sorry. The body… er… Bella is just downstairs. Please follow me," as he walked away. Charlie and I both followed behind as we headed down to the basement.

We paused for a moment by a thick steel door as Aro unlocked it. I looked at the lock on the outside of the door questionably an Aro blushed and said, "I don't want any of my tools to go missing. The kids sometimes think they can break in and steal my things."

Aro walked forward and gestured for us to follow him. I paused a few feet away as we came up to a white sheet that was clearly placed over a body. I began to shake a little and prayed to God that this was all a mistake.

"As I said before, I have just started preparing her body." Aro said quietly as he pulled the sheet back to reveal the face.

"No…" I breathed out.

On the metal table covered by simple white sheet laid my precious Bella. I came forward slowly and notice a large gash on her forehead. It was partly sewn closed and the needle and thread still lay there. I gently ran my fingers through her hair as the tears slowly fell from my eyes.

Charlie was now standing beside me and a look of pure grief was displayed on his face. His only child, his only daughter, his only family lay here on the cool metal table.

We only spent a few more moments at the funeral home before we made our way back to Charlie's cruiser. My entire body was frozen and my mind could not seem to catch up to what had just happened, to what I had just seen. A few minutes later Charlie told me that we had arrived home, and so I got out of the cruiser. He promised to return in the morning and that he would be the one to call my parents and the rest of our friends. I simply nodded and then made my way up the stairs.

Once inside, I close the door and leaned against the wall in the hallway. I slowly slid to the floor and began to cry. My love, my life, my best friend, my future, it was all gone.

**Tear :(**

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	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**So, I've said it before, I'm a sucker! I can't never wait long to update my stories. I don't like making people wait. But I swear, back to work tomorrow, so you will wait till Tuesday for another update. Unless I crack again :P **

**Thanks for the reviews ! Hope you're all liking this story so far, as I've said before, it's only about 10 chapters !**

**Chapter 3**

**BPOV**

I slowly opened my eyes and looked around the room. I didn't know where I was. Nothing seemed familiar.

I sat up slowly and groaned at the ache my muscles felt. I looked down and noticed that I was on a metal tray. I quirked an eyebrow and wondered how I got here.

Suddenly, I got flashes from last night. I remembered an old man telling me that I had died. It just sounded impossible. How could I have died? If I had died, then how come I was still in so much pain?

I jumped off the metal tray and landed on my feet. I stumbled back a little bit but placed my hands out to steady myself.

The room was so dark that I could not make out anything else in the room. I did however, notice light coming from underneath what I assumed was the doorway. I slowly walked forward, hoping to not bump into anything. I got to the door and tried to slide it sideways, but it would not budge. I pulled harder and harder until my arms began to ache.

I started banging on the door and shouted out, "HELP!" I waited a few moments, and tried once more, "HELLO? IS SOMEBODY THERE?"

I moved over to the side and leaned against the wall. I slid down to the floor and pulled my knees to my chest.

I wasn't sure how much time had passed, until I heard footsteps coming towards the door. I scooted away and waited. A few seconds passed and then suddenly the room was filled with light. I noticed the man from before stood in the doorway.

"What's going on?" I asked him.

He closed the door behind him and walked into the room. He made his way over to the metal tray that I must have been on. He patted it as though indicating, that he wanted me to sit down. I walked forward slowly and then sat down.

"Could you please explain to me what is happening?" I asked him once again.

"You were in a serious car accident last night, Bella. I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but you died. That is why you're here." He was looking at me honestly as he answered.

I shook my head back and forth, "No, that's not possible! If I were dead, how could we still be talking? How could I still walk around? How do I still feel pain?"

"I'm a guide, Bella." The man said sincerely, "I am here to help guide you into the afterlife. It's a gift, or a curse, but none the less, it is still my responsibility to help you move on into the afterlife. I am here, to help you make the transition."

**Ohhh…**

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	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Thanks for reviewing! Hope you like this next chapter :-)**

**Chapter 4**

**BPOV**

I sat and stared at the wall before me for hours. I could not process what the man told me. I didn't want to believe that I had died. But mostly what I have thought about was Edward. I thought about our fight, our life together, and everything that I would miss. It didn't seem fair.

I waited for the man to return, there had to be some sort of mistake. If maybe I could talk to Edward, or my father, someone, maybe there was still some hope.

The door opened once more and the man came back. I hopped off the tray and headed towards him. I began speaking quickly, "I just want to call my father, or Edward, they can fix everything. There has to be some sort of mistake. I can't be dead."

The man sighed and placed his tools down, "I'm sorry, Bella. I can't let you do that. You have died. You need to let them go, so that they can move on, and so can you. I am simply doing my duty here and helping you through the transition."

"But, maybe…"

"NO. DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND. YOU'RE DEAD! YOU DIED!" He shouted, "It is time for you to accept that and move on. You are no longer meant to be on this earth."

I shook my head back and forth. This wasn't right. "Then why am I still here? Why am I still in pain? I feel everything. I thought when you died, you went into heaven, or moved on or something. But I'm still here and I'm still talking. How can I be dead if I can still walk around, talk, and hurt and feel all of these things."

He came forward and lightly touched my arm, "Bella..." he sighed, "The only reason you're still here and feeling everything is because you haven't accepted the fact that you've died. Once you start to accept it, then you'll be able to move onto the next life. Until then, you're here, and as long as you're here, everyone else will still feel your presence. They won't be able to move on either. It's all a process."

I numbly nodded my head and looked down to the ground. I wasn't sure what to think anymore. This had officially become the worst day of my life. I thought back to what I use to consider the worst day of my life.

_Flashback_

_"Oh baby baby, how was I supposed to know, that something wasn't right here... Show me, how you want it to be, tell me baby, cause I need to know now, what because..."_

_I stood in my bedroom, practicing the moves that Alice, Rosalie, and myself had come up with. Tomorrow night, we would be going to our very first boy/girl party. We were so excited, that we prepared a dance to one of the hottest songs playing on the radio right now. I was also excited for another reason, at 12 years old I had started noticing boys, one in particular. I couldn't wait to get to see Edward, and I was hoping that maybe, that Edward would be excited to see me too. Alice had already given me permission to date him, seeing as he was her twin brother._

_I was just getting into the routine when suddenly, the music was turned off. I twirled around quickly and saw dad standing by the CD player, the grim expression on his face. _

_"Dad! You totally ruined my flow. Now I have to start all over again," I grumbled._

_"Bella, I need you to sit down on your bed."_

_I slowly sat down and looked at him, "What's up, Dad?" I waited for a moment but when he didn't say anything I immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion, "I'm going to that party tomorrow. Mom already said that I could go."_

_I noticed a tear slide down my father's cheek, "Mom was in a car accident, Sweetie." I looked at him stunned and started to shake my head, "A drunk driver hit her car. They say she passed quickly."_

_I could feel the tears freely falling from my eyes. I whispered out a strangled cry, "No."_

_"She's gone," dad said as he came over and wrapped his arms around me. I started crying and I clung on to him for dear life._

Things hadn't been the same after that. Dad withdrew a little and I smiled a little less each day. Eventually though, Edward brought the old me back and I was happy again. Dad and I started doing things and our relationship had been better than ever. I wasn't sure what would happen to him after this.

I wasn't sure what would happen to anyone, not that it really mattered seeing as I wouldn't be around to see it.

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	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Thanks for the reviews! We're at the half way mark ! :) Hope you like this story ! **

**EPOV**

I tossed and turned all night long. I couldn't believe that she was really gone. I placed my head into my hands and started pulling on my hair. I growled in frustration, I didn't want to accept that she was gone.

I slowly pulled myself out of bed and walked downstairs. Every wall, every door, every photograph, everything in this house reminded me of her. It was our house. Our home. Mine and hers. I felt the bile rise in my throat and quickly ran to the bathroom. I spilled everything from inside my stomach into the toilet. I heaved, and I heaved until there's nothing left. I leaned my back against the wall and slid to the floor. I closed my eyes and thought of happier moments.

_Flashback_

_I honked the horn for the fifth time. I stuck my head out the window and shouted, "Let's go, Bella."_

_She appeared at the front door and smiled when she saw me. I couldn't help but smile back, it was now an involuntary action. She started running towards the car and tripped a little on her way. I chuckled when she opened the door and sat down with a huff, "I swear to God, I need new legs or something." She then turned and looked at me before she whispered softly, "Hi."_

_I smiled and leaned over the center console, grabbed her face in my hands and pulled her in for a kiss. After a few moments, I whispered softly against her lips, "Hi back."_

_She smiled brightly and then asked, "So, where are we going?"_

_I chuckled and shook my head, "I already told you, it's a surprise."_

_"You know I hate surprises."_

_"I'm sure you'll like this one." She huffed once again and folded her arms across her chest. I drove for about 10 minutes before I pulled over onto the side of the road._

_She looked at the trees skeptically and said, "Your idea of a good surprise, is to take me hiking? I think you have something seriously wrong with your head."_

_"Funny..." I said dryly. "It's just a small hike and you'll be glad that we came here."_

_She sighed and said, "Well if anything happens to me, you have to explain it to Charlie."_

_I chuckled, "Deal. But just so you know, I don't plan on letting anything happen to you." I got out of the car and quickly made my way over to her door. I grabbed her hand and started walking the small trail that I had made earlier this week._

_We walked for approximately 15 minutes before we came upon our destination. The moment we walked into the open field, I heard Bella gasp behind me._

_"It's so beautiful."_

_"I thought you might like the view," I said as I grabbed onto her hand and pulled her to the middle of the field. We sat down and then eventually laid down onto our backs. We held onto each other's hands as we talked about everything._

_Just as we were getting ready to leave, I pulled Bella in front of me and turned her around so that I could look into her beautiful brown eyes. I grabbed a piece of stray hair and tucked it behind her ear. I smiled softly and looked directly into her eyes and said, "I love you."_

That day was the very first day that we had ever expressed our love to each other. We had been dating for about three months before that day. I had always liked Bella and prayed that one day she liked me back. After her mother's death, she pulled into a shell for a while. Although no one blamed her, I couldn't help but miss the girl that I was quickly falling for.

I pulled myself up off the floor and went to the kitchen. Not even a few moments had passed before I heard someone knocking at the door. I made my way to the front door and opened it.

I was quickly pulled into a pair of arms and heard the one voice that could usually calm me, "oh Edward, I can't believe she's gone. I am so sorry, Honey."

I broke down crying and squeezed her tightly, "Mom, I don't know what to do. It doesn't feel like she's gone, it just doesn't feel real to me. I keep expecting for her to call me."

"I know, Honey." She whispered softly and whiped a few tears off my cheeks.

Eventually, everyone had made their way over. Rose and Emmett were tucked further in the corner on one of the couches with their four-month-old son, Jared. Alice and Jasper were sitting on the floor near the fireplace. I sat on the couch with my mother and father on either side. I was holding onto moms hand for dear life. Every now and then she would squeeze it ever so slightly. All of us were telling stories about Bella, Alice thought it would be good for us to remember her in a good light.

I couldn't stand being in the house anymore and needed to get away. Jasper, Emmett and my dad came to the bar with me. I just needed something, anything that would ease this ache on my heart.

I was on my seventh beer, when I heard the most annoying voice to my left, "oh Edward, I'm so sorry to hear about what happened." I looked over and noticed none other than Tanya Denali standing before me. I didn't even bother responding. I just picked up my beer and took another sip. "You know, if you need someone to help you with the pain, I'm here for you. I'll do anything to help," she said as she grasped onto my arm.

I pulled my arm away from her and said,"Go away. I don't need and I don't want anything from you. I never have and I never will, now get out of my face."

She stared at me and said, "Seriously? I don't understand how you could not want this," as she dragged her hand up and down her body. "Everyone wants this."

"And practically everyone has had it."

Her mouth opened in shock for a few moments before her eyes turned angry and she spat out,"You're a loser, Edward. Why don't you just go back home to your pathetic little girlfriend. Oh wait... She's dead."

I raised my right hand and turned around so quickly that I barely even noticed that I had struck her until I saw her fall to the ground. I stood in shock, I couldn't believe that I had hit her. I had never hit a woman before. I was raised to treat them with respect. I couldn't believe that Tanya had pushed me so far, that I had struck her.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled out before I ran for the door. I burst outside and started hyperventilating. No matter how awful she was, I still shouldn't have hit her.

I heard the door open behind me and then I heard Jasper say, "Let me take you home, Edward. You've had too much to drink, you're not thinking clearly anymore." I nodded my head and followed him to the car. I figured that Emmett and my dad stayed behind to diffuse the situation.

"I shouldn't have hit her," I mumbled quietly.

"Yeah, well, she kind of deserved it. She shouldn't have said that. You can apologize to her later."

My cell phone started ringing and I looked at the number. It didn't seem familiar, but I answered anyways, "Hello?"

I waited for a moment and heard nothing. All I could hear on the other side was that static. "Hello?" I asked again. Static. I closed my phone and dropped it on the car floor. I felt something rising in my stomach again, "Jasper, pull over."

Jasper quickly maneuvered the car to the side of the road. I opened my door just in time to spew everything out once again. I coughed a couple times and then spit to get everything out fully. I looked up and felt a chill run up my spine.

I jumped out of the car and said, "It's Bella." I looked to the building directly infront of me and straight into the window to where my love was standing. I could see her so clearly. I started walking towards her, when I felt someone grab my arm and pull me back.

"What the hell, Jasper?"

"Look, Edward. You can't just run up to people's houses in the middle of the night. Even if it is only the creepy funeral home. Let's just go home, grab a drink of water, some Advil, and go to sleep," Jasper said as he tried to pull me away.

I shook my head and said, "She's right there. I saw her." I looked back to the window and noticed the light was now off and there was no one standing.

Jasper grabbed onto my shoulder and said, "It's been a long night, Edward. Heck, it's been a long two days. You've been drinking and you've lost a lot of sleep. It's time for you to head home. Charlie said the funeral would be tomorrow."

I nodded my head and whispered out, "Why so soon? Doesn't it feel too soon to you?"

"He wants to say goodbye properly and then I think he wants to leave Forks. This isn't his home anymore. I think he wants to put it all behind him and move on. There's too much loss in this town for him," Jasper spoke softly.

I sighed and said, "Take me home."

As we drove off, I looked back at the funeral home one more time. I swear, I thought I saw someone walk past the window once again. I try to strain and look closely, but Jasper turned the corner and house disappeared from my sight.

**Dum, dum dummmmm. ...**

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**Next update: Saturday ! :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Thanks for the reviews! Much appreciation to those who take the time to review. I love hearing what you think of the story, and your theories about what's going. The story is completed and I will continue to update every 2nd day :) **

**Enjoy :o) **

**BPOV**

The door opened, and Aro walked in. He smiled softly at me and said, "The casket is all ready. Your father, brought by these clothes for you. I think you will look very lovely for the wake."

I looked at the items in his hands and recognized the black dress that I had worn on the day of my college graduation. "I'm ready to go. I understand now, that I can't stay here and affect their lives any longer. I need to move on into the afterlife so that they may move on in this life," I said emotionless.

He gave me a small smile and said, "It's for the best. The place you're going to, is beautiful and peaceful."

I simply nodded my head. He placed the items down beside me and said, "I just realized, that I ran out of a few makeup items. I need to run into town for a few moments."

I didn't respond and he slowly left the room. I heard the door close and at the same time I heard a cell phone ringing. I saw Aro's shadow underneath the doorway as he walked away. I stood up and looked around the plain room. Tomorrow was going to be my final day here. I would be buried and this is when I would get to say my goodbyes as well.

Eventually, I got bored and decided to explore little bits of the room. I walked over to another table and noticed that a white sheet gently placed over a body. I slowly pulled the sheet back and looked down. There was an old woman laying there with her eyes closed. How come she looks dead, and yet I'm still here. I guess it's true what they say, that sometimes people stay behind to take care of unfinished business. She probably had prepared for her death, as for me, mine was sudden. No preparation, no goodbye, no nothing.

I sighed and decided I would turn the light off and try to get some sleep or something. Is that what I would be doing? Sleeping. I walked over to the door and that's when I noticed it was open slightly. I pulled the door back and opened it all the way. I poked my head out into the hallway and didn't see anyone. I turned left and headed for the door at the end of the hallway. I opened it slowly and saw that there were stairs on the other side. I made my way up until I was on the next floor. I made my way towards the front door and it creaked open. I opened wider and just as I was about to step outside, lights flashed in my direction. I noticed it was Aro and his face showed surprise as his eyes locked with mine.

I slammed the door and took off running. I wobbled a bit as I didn't have much strength left. I noticed another set of stairs and I headed up. Once on the top floor, I started searching for a way out. I tried a few different doorknobs but could not find one door unlocked. I ran to the very last door and prayed as I turned the doorknob. The door opened and I quickly pushed my way inside. There on the back wall, was a telephone. I ran forward and picked it up off the receiver. I quickly dialed the one number that I would never forget.

I held my breath as it rang. Finally, I heard the most beautiful voice, "Hello?"

"EDWARD!" I shouted into the phone, "Help me."

I didn't hear anything for a few moments, and then he repeated, "Hello?"

I shook my head and whispered out, "Edward... I love you."

The phone was taken out of my hands and beside me stood Aro. "I'm not dead," I said determinedly.

"Look," Aro said. He pointed to something to my right. I walked over and noticed it was a mirror. I held back my gasp as I looked at myself. My eyes almost looked sunken. They were dull and there were big deep rings around them. But what I noticed most, was how light my skin looked. I was so pale. Paler than ever before. "You have no life left in you. That's why your eyes are dark and your skin so pale. The blood no longer flows through your veins. You're dead, Bella."

I nodded my head in agreement, finally accepting the truth because really, the reality of the situation was staring back at me, right in my face. I walked over towards the door and paused to look out the window. On the side of the road there was a man crouched over. I smiled softly and wished that I should have done more careless things in my life. Always playing by the rules. I should have lived a little more. Spent more times with my father and with Edward. Worked less and loved harder.

I walked away and headed towards the door that Aro held open. I walked down the stairs slowly before him and then onto the next set of stairs as well.

Once back into the small room I returned to my metal tray. I sat down and then lay down onto my back. I heard the door shut once again and turned onto my side so that my back was facing the door.

In the morning, Aro came bright and early. He made me lie down as he washed my hair and gently dried it. He ran a brush through it and then let my hair fall into soft waves. He then applied some makeup to my face. He said he was adding colour, to make it seem like I was still alive. If only for the day.

Once finished, Aro left the room so that I could get into my dress. He held his hand out for me and together we walked up the stairs. Aro paused in front of a cherry redwood casket. He held onto my hand as he helped me get in. I laid down and got comfortable. This seemed pretty nice for my final resting place.

Aro came over and injected something into my arm. I looked at them questionably and he said, "So the body doesn't emanate certain smell." I raised my eyebrows slightly and he explained further, "the dead smell."

I nodded my head in agreement and looked at him once again. He lifted a small camera and told me to smile. A novelty he simply said. He took the picture and then showed it to me. I looked at it and smiled softly. I really did look like I was still alive. At least I wouldn't freak out my family.

I ran my finger along the edges photograph and felt a small prick. I winced and pulled my hand back right away. I dropped the photograph to the ground and looked at my hand in shock.

A small bead of blood made its way down my finger.

**Woah! :P**

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	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does.**

**Thanks for reviewing ! Hope you all enjoy this chapter ! **

**BPOV**

"What?" I whispered as I looked at my finger. I was bleeding. It was not possible, I didn't have any blood flowing through my veins anymore. "I don't understand," I whispered out to Aro.

"Goodbye, Bella." He simply said. I shook my head and tried to pull myself out of the casket. My arms fell to the side and my body fell forward slightly. I felt weak, and I had no control of my body. Slowly, my eyes began to close. Once everything was all dark, I heard Aro say, "Another wonderful funeral."

I felt my body being moved backwards once again. My head lay on something soft. Eventually, it felt like my body was being rolled somewhere.

I eventually heard people gathering. I tried calling out for help but nothing was happening. I struggled to move my arms and everything failed. I wasn't strong enough. I could feel the panic in my chest, but no matter what I did, nothing was working. I was going to be buried alive and there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. If I could cry, I would be right now. How could I have been so stupid? I was so convinced in the end that I was dead and then I found out it was a cruel joke. A cruel sick joke.

"Mr. Swan, are we ready to begin?" I heard Aro's disgustingly sweet voice.

I heard a sigh, before I heard the very distinct voice of my father, "Not yet, Aro. We're waiting for Esme Cullen to arrive. She was having a rough morning."

"Mr. Swan, we really don't want to fall behind schedule," I heard Aro plea.

"We'll be waiting for Esme. She's been a good family friend for a long time and Bella was like a second daughter to her. We can spare a few minutes, it's not like Bella's going anywhere."

Oh Daddy! If only you knew what was happening under your very nose right now. If only you could feel that I was still here. I wish so badly that you could.

I don't know how long I lay here with just the quiet murmur of the crowd. If only Esme could take a little more time. I honestly don't know how long I had left before they buried me. Please, please, someone realize what is happening. Someone save me.

"We're ready to begin now, Aro." I heard my father.

I tried once again to fight with everything in me. Nothing was moving but I couldn't give up. I was vaguely aware that the minister was speaking. Talking around how I was off to a better place. I highly doubt even he'd consider this a better place.

I then heard the minister tell everyone to line up and each of them get to say their goodbyes. I listened to a few people, some voices I recognized, others I didn't.

I then heard a voice that even in 'fake' death I could not escape. "Edward is just upset right now. He'll get over it soon and I'll be there for him. We'll move on together. You know how they say, everything happens for a reason. This happened because Edward and I are destined to be married and have a family together. Oh and I guess, sorry you're dead and all. Like, that sort of does suck." Tanya Denali whispered. Oh how funny would it be for me to just jump out of this casket and kick her ass. I should do that. One, Two, Three, GO! Oh damn, at least it was worth a shot. I'm so haunting her silicone ass from beyond. Even me dying she won't get Edward. She really is delusional. Not to mention how rude of her to say this shit at a funeral. No class.

"Bella..." I heard the voice of one of my best friends. Oh Alice. I wish you could feel my pressence. "You were my very best friend since the beginning. We've done everything together. Had our first school dances, you held me as I bawled when I had to get braces, I was there when you were freaking out about getting your period, moving off to College and sharing a house for all four years and everything before, after and in-between. I don't know what to do without you. I'm so lost. I love you so much and I wish things were different. I wished it everyday since I heard about you dying. It's not right." She paused for a moment before she continued, "I'll be there for Edward. It's going to be hard, but I promise you that I will take care of him. I'll miss you and I'll think of you everyday."

I felt someone gently sweep my hair and heard, "We're going to miss you around here, Darling." Jasper whispered softly. "I'll take care of the both of them. I know you'd probably come back to haunt me if I didn't." He chuckled a little and finished with, "I love you, I know I never really said it, but you've always been a great friend and it's about time I say something. I love you."

"Hey, Jelly Belly. God, it's scary how alive you look right now." Oh Emmett, if only you knew the truth. "Rose can't come here. She loves you and everything, but its too hard. She's having a hard time accepting it, and with the baby being so young. She just can't come here. Don't hold it against her. We love you."

"You might want to hurry along a little, we're already a bit behind schedule," I heard Aro's voice say to the crowd.

"Listen Aro, a lot of people loved Bella and everyone deserves to pay their respects. I know you're very strict on schedules, but have some tact and some respect." I heard Carlisle say harshly. I was a little surprised at the harshness, but if I could smile, I would. You go, Carlisle. "Oh my sweet little Bella. No words can describe what I've felt these past few days. You are my daughter, well you were going to be. I've always thought of you that way even before you and Edward started dating. I'm not ready to say goodbye. It really should be the other way around. I love you my sweet baby Bella."

There was a few moments of silence and I thought for sure that was the end of it. I then heard a voice say quietly, "To say goodbye would suggest that we won't see each other again. I'm certain that one day we will meet again. I guess there's some sort of plan going on. I don't like it and I never will. You will always be my daughter and I will mourn your death everyday. But, I will also celebrate the beautiful life you lived. You have touched so many people's hearts and we will never forget you. I love you, always." Esme finished off. I felt lips on my forehead and wished more than anything that I could wrap my arms around her. God, if I survive, hugging Esme is something I'll do more often. I will appreciate my life, I swear.

"My baby. My beautiful little girl." I heard Charlie choke out. "This isn't fair. First your mother and now you. I..." He broke down. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you baby. I'm so sorry."

I'll hug Dad more often too. He shouldn't feel guilty for something he didn't have control over. If only he knew we could still be together. If only he knew the sick joke Aro has been playing.

I then heard one last voice and I knew who it was. "Love, I am so sorry. It was just a stupid fight. You were supposed to be angry with me for a day, two tops. Then I'd apologize, because we all know I was being stupid, again. We'd make up and we'd go on with our lives. Then overtime, the ring I got months ago would continue to burn a hole in my pocket. I'd get to anxious and eventually blurt it out. You'd agree and we'd get married. Then we'd have beautiful children. Three or four, but really, you'd be the one giving birth, so really it's however many you'd bless me with. Even if we never had children. To just have the chance to grow old with you. To just get the chance to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Even then it wouldn't be long enough. I love you and I don't want to let you go." He paused for a moment and whispered out a goodbye, "I would have loved you forever, Bella."

The music began to play and I heard the distinct sound of a click. The air got stuffy and I realized that the casket had now been closed. Panic rose into me once again and I struggled more than ever. I felt the casket moving and I knew then, that they were bringing it out to the cemetary. I needed to fight harder. I was barely breathing as it was, so I knew there would still be quite a bit of air. But how much?

Eventually, I felt the casket being dropped down. I struggled harder and felt my finger twitch. I kept fighting and managed to part my lips as I strangled out, "NO!" I could barely hear it myself.

I raised my hand slightly and fought harder. My whole arm shot up and I hit the top of the casket. Thank god for the lid not having any padding. I heard a small thump when my hand connected with the top.

I parted my lips once again and strangled out, "NO!" It was a little louder than before. I raised my hand quickly once again and heard another thump!

"Please," I chocked out. I could feel the air getting thick and began to have a hard time breathing. "No," I broke out. I raised my hand once more and hit the top once again.

Black spots began appearing before my eyes. Everything was getting blurry and my chest was hurting from the pressure. I couldn't breathe anymore.

I raised my hand once more and hit the lid weakly.

Everything went black.

**Oh damn ! :P **

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	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does. :(**

**EPOV**

I sat at the end of my bed and stared down to the floor. I was fully dressed in my suit, but I couldn't bring myself to even move. This was it. This was the moment I had to say goodbye. The ache in my chest hurt more than ever before. There was nothing else for us now. She was gone. There wasn't even a point for me to be here anymore. What kind of world is it, with no Bella? I knew I wouldn't end my life though. That was pretty cowardly. And selfish. I couldn't do that to my family. They were already burying a sister, best friend, and daughter today. I would not add to their pain.

I stood slowly and went over to my sock drawer. I opened it and dug around a little. I pulled the small black velvet box out and opened it. Tears gathered in my eyes at the ring I would never get to give her. It screamed her name. It was her. It was perfect, and she would never see it.

I closed it and dropped it on the floor. It didn't matter anymore. I walked out of our bedroom and closed the door behind me. Waiting down stairs were Alice and Jasper, Rose and Emmett with their son and my father. We agreed we would ride together.

I noticed someone missing and asked, "Where's mom?"

My father cleared his throat and said, "She's having a hard time. I'll wait here for her to be ready. The rest of you should get to the church now."

I simply nodded and followed Alice and Jasper to their vehicle. I sat down in the backseat and watched the trees as we drove past them. I tried not to think of what was going to happen in a few short hours. We would be burying the love of my life and I couldn't do anything about it.

We pulled up to the church and I sat still for a moment. I was thankful that neither Alice or Jasper pushed me to move. Eventually, I got out of the vehicle and grabbed the one white rose that I had asked Alice to bring for me.

I looked up at the church that was attached to the funeral home. I walked up the stairs and paused at the door once again. I took a deep breath and entered.

I noticed the pews were beginning to fill with people. I didn't linger on anyone. I didn't care who was here and I didn't want to see the look of pity of their faces. I walked to the front where Charlie stood speaking with someone.

I approached him and rested my hand on his shoulder. He gave me a small smile and said, "Thanks for coming today, Edward."

I cleared my throat about to say something but I just decided to nod my head.

I sat down and looked towards the front. The casket was there and the lid was open. I could see her silouhette and felt the tears stinging my eyes once again. I looked away and discreetly wiped the tears from my eyes.

"Mr. Swan, are we ready to begin?" I heard the funeral director say to Charlie. I looked at him and analyzed him. He seemed nervous. I guess being around dead bodies all day you may get to be a little weird. Okay, he was seriously weird and he looked like he had a secret.

I then heard Charlie respond, "Not yet, Aro. We're waiting for Esme Cullen to arrive. She was having a rough morning." I guess Alice and Jasper had filled him in on what was going on with my mother. I knew she was taking today hard, heck, we all were.

Aro, as he was called, looked around nervously and said, "Mr. Swan, we really don't want to fall behind schedule." What the hell was his problem? And why did he seem to nervous. As far as I knew, this was the only funeral today. For crying out loud, it was the only funeral we were having in Forks this month. A few months ago a young kid, about 18 was killed when he crashed his motorcycle.

"We'll be waiting for Esme. She's been a good family friend for a long time and Bella was like a second daughter to her. We can spare a few minutes, it's not like Bella's going anywhere," Charlie answered sternly.

I sat there a moment and looked back to the casket once again. I stared at it for a moment and then I heard the doors open once again. I turned back and saw my father and mother enter. Dad had his arm wrapped around Mom's waist as she smiled timidly at everyone who stared at her.

I then heard Charlie say, "We're ready to begin now, Aro."

We all took our seats and Mom grasped my hand into hers tightly. The minister began his speech but I zoned him out. A few stories were shared about Bella, but I didn't listen either. Eventually, it was time for the wake and everyone lined up to pay their final respects to Bella. I looked at the line-up briefly and saw a few old high school teachers. They always did like Bella. I then saw a few friends from around town that use to live here. Angela and Ben had stopped by her casket briefly. I then noticed someone who was entirely to done up for a funeral. I looked at Tanya Denali in utter disgust as she spoke to Bella's body for a few moments. They didn't even like each other, well really, how many people liked Tanya. Gross.

Finally, it was friends and family. Alice and Jasper went first, followed by Emmett. I heard the funeral director say something else but I just ignored him. Apparently, my father didn't appreciate it and gave him a piece of his mind. If it were under any other normal circumstance I would smile, but I just couldn't bring myself to. My father and then mother took their turns. I noticed the Chief went next and I held back a moment to not intrude on this moment of his. His final moment with his daughter.

After he walked away, I approached the casket with dread. I felt the tears quickly gather in my eyes as I looked at her. Even in death she still took my breath away. There was slight pink tint to her cheeks. She didn't even seem dead. I guess that's what makeup is for.

I took a deep breath and prepared to say my goodbyes to her, "Love, I am so sorry. It was just a stupid fight. You were supposed to be angry with me for a day, two tops. Then I'd apologize, because we all know I was being stupid, again. We'd make up and we'd go on with our lives. Then overtime, the ring I got months ago would continue to burn a hole in my pocket. I'd get to anxious and eventually blurt it out. You'd agree and we'd get married. Then we'd have beautiful children. Three or four, but really, you'd be the one giving birth, so really it's however many you'd bless me with. Even if we never had children. To just have the chance to grow old with you. To just get the chance to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. Even then it wouldn't be long enough. I love you and I don't want to let you go." I paused once more and whispered out one final time to her, "I would have loved you forever, Bella."

I took a step back and watched as friends of Charlie's from the reserve came forward, closed the casket and lifted it up. We all walked behind them as we headed towards Bella' final resting place.

The casket was placed beside the hole in the ground and then placed onto the small lever that would lower the casket into the ground. We all stood by and watched as it went down slowly.

I heard a small thump and turned around to look behind me. I looked around curiously but didn't notice anything. Weird. I turned my focus back on the casket as it slowly descended into the dirt. I swear for a moment in the wind I heard a small "No," whisper out.

I shook my head and watched as the casket hit the ground. A bit of dirt was thrown onto the casket and everyone started throwing their flowers onto it. In-between the piles of the dirt being thrown onto the casket I heard another thump. I listened more intently to figure out where this sound was coming from. This time I was very sure I heard a small voice whisper, "Please."

I heard another thump and focused my attention onto the casket. It couldn't honestly be coming from the casket, could it? I looked around but it didn't seem like anyone else was paying attention. I focused directly on the casket and listened.

This time, I heard the thump and I knew without a doubt that it come from the casket. Oh my god! It had come from Bella.

Panic rose in me and I shouted out, "STOP! SHE'S STILL ALIVE!" Everyone stopped and looked at me.

I rushed forward intending to jump in when I felt someone grab my arm. I turned and saw Charlie looking at me, "Let it go, Son. She's gone. She's dead."

"I HEARD HER! WE NEED TO HURRY!" I shouted in his face once again.

His eyes darken and said, "This isn't the time, Edward. Really..." and then I did something I never thought I'd ever do in my life. I punched Charlie right in the nose.

I heard everyone around me gasp in shock as Charlie stumbled back and blood began pouring from his nose. I turned around and jumped into the grave before someone else could stop me.

I felt around the edge of the casket and found the latch. I ripped it open and pull the top lid up. My breath caught in my throat as I looked down.

"Edward, look she's not alive." I heard Jasper say behind me.

I shook my head, I could have sworn the thump had come from here. I looked down and she looked like she was sleeping peacefully.

**...**

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	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own the characters, they belong to Stephanie Meyer. :(**

**Thanks for the reviews! Well, this is pretty much the end. Only the epilogue after this :) **

**EPOV**

"Edward, look she's not alive." I heard Jasper say behind me.

I shook my head, I could have sworn the thump had come from here. I looked down and she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. I was about to close the lid once again when I noticed her left hand was no longer resting beside her, the way it had been when she was in the church.

Instead, her arm was thrown over her chest. I bent down quickly and felt her neck. I found her pulse point and waited with baited breath. I was about to pull my hand away when I felt a weak pulse pass by my fingers.

I pulled back in shock and shouted out, "SHE HAS A PULSE. IT'S WEAK!" I immediately heard and felt a loud thump land on the casket. I looked behind me and noticed Jasper was there.

Together we reached in and pulled Bella out partly. I immediately titled her head back and began CPR. Please, oh please god. Please let this be real.

I did a couple of breaths and Jasper did five compressions. I bent down once again and gave her more breath, "Come on, Love."

Jasper did five more compressions and I pushed another two breathes into her body before I felt her body convulse under me and she began coughing.

I could vaguely hear people gasp once again and a few say their shock out loud.

I turned Bella onto her side and began crying when I realized she was breathing. She coughed a few more moments before she leaned back against me and struggled to breath properly.

"I don't believe it," I heard Jasper whisper out beside me. This is when I realized that we were still siting in the crave and Jasper was fully standing inside the casket now.

"Breath, Baby. Just breath." I said soothly to Bella as I rubbed my hand along her back. I was aware that I was still crying but I couldn't help myself. I also realized that I could be in a bit of shock from this strange turn of events.

I felt someone touch my arm and looked to my side and saw my dad had joined us in the grave. He gently touched Bella and she cried out and pulled away in fear.

I tightened my hold on her and whispered into her ear, "It's ok, Love. I've got you. It's just Carlisle."

Bella turned slightly in my arms and looked directly into my eyes. I couldn't believe that I had thought she was dead. I knew in my heart that something wasn't right. "I was hoping you'd hear me," she mumbled out quietly before her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

I shook her a bit and started to panic, "Bella?"

"She's in shock too, Edward. Let me look at her." I heard my dad say. I nodded my head as he came over and felt her neck as well. He seemed relieved when he felt her pulse and smiled at me slightly. "Let's get her out of here."

I nodded my head and went to stand. I shifted Bella into my fathers' arms as I stood. Jasper and I each grabbed a part of her and lifted her up out of the hole. Two sets of arms came forward and grabbed onto her body and pulled her out the rest of the way.

I grabbed the edge of the hole and hoisted myself out of the hole and immediately rushed to Bella. I looked up and noticed Charlie was squatted beside her as he pat her hair. We locked eyes for a moment before he lowered his to ground and he started crying once again.

I was rushed forward beside her. My father appeared once again and said, "We've called an ambulance. It should be here soon." He took a deep breath and said lowly, "We almost buried her alive."

Charlie snarled then and said loudly, "NOT WE! That slimy bastard Aro. He's had her body here since the very beginning. He must have known she was still alive. Where is he?" He shouted as he stood up and started looking through the crowd.

Another deputy stepped forward and said, "We caught him shortly after Edward jumped into the grave. We noticed he seemed extremely nervous and then seemed to be trying to sneak away. Once we heard she was alive we put him in the back of one of the cars, just in case she woke up and saw him."

I was really glad that our police force actually had some people who seemed competent enough to notice suspicious behaviour. I heard the sirens in the background and waited for the paramedics to make their way through the crowd.

Carlisle explained what had happened and jumped into the back of the ambulance with them. As much as I wanted to be with her, I knew that she needed to be taken care of by my father. I would probably just get in the way.

"Edward," I heard my mother whisper to me. I turned to her and she smiled slightly. She raised her hand and rested it on my cheek, "I'm so proud of you. If you had stepped down and listened to everyone telling you she was dead, she would have been. We wouldn't have this chance with her again. I'm so proud of you, my son."

I felt the tears come quickly and I pulled my mother into my arms as I broke down crying. It had all finally surfaced. The reality of the situation. That we, in fact, had almost burried the love of my life alive. ALIVE! My mother eventually pulled me towards the vehicle so that we could get to the hospital and find out how Bella was doing.

We arrived fairly quickly and were directed to the waiting room. Charlie was already there as well pacing. He looked relieved to see us and approached quickly.

I flinched a bit when he looked at me and I noticed the dry blood near his nose. Was he going to punch me back? He lifted his arm and I prepared myself for the hit. Instead he started patting my shoulder and said, "I have to say, Edward. Under any other circumstance, I would be hauling your ass off the jail right this minute. But I have to say, this is the first time I'm ever glad for a punch. We wouldn't have gotten her had you backed down. For that reason, I can't be anything but thankful for you at this moment."

I touched his hand slightly and said, "I'm just glad I heard her."

"We all are, Dear." My mother whispered beside me as she held onto my right arm.

We all took chairs and waited to hear from my father. He would only be supervising what was happening in that room. He was the best doctor in this town and he definitely was throwing his weight around this time. He wasn't going to let anyone else hurt her, and for that I was thankful.

After almost an hour since the 'funeral', my father stepped through the doors and smiled at us. We all stood as he came over. He looked at Charlie and smiled, "Sorry it took so long, we just wanted to run numerous tests and scans. Just to make sure everything was ok." He took a breath and continued, "Nothing is broken, surprisingly, since I saw photos of her car. Anyways, she's got some bruises from the accident and the gash on her forehead. But even that had been well taken care of."

"Carlisle, she was in the basement of that house for almost three days," Charlie began saying. He paused and seemed to hesitate before he continued, "He seems like a lonely man. Did he.. ? You know, did he touch.. ? Or something else?" We all flinched and I felt sick to my stomach at the mere thought of that old man's hands on Bella.

"No! No, not at all. We had one of the female nurse do a quick check while Bella was out, and there was nothing of that sort of thing happened." My dad answered immediately. You could tell that everyone released the breath they were holding in.

"Can we go see her?" I asked.

"Soon, Edward. She's just being moved to a more permanent room. We want to keep her here for a few days, just to make sure she's alright. And, to also speak to one of our therapists, maybe she can talk more easily to a stranger about what happened." My dad eyebrows furrowed as he was thinking of something. "Do we know what's happening to Aro?"

Charlie spoke up then, "We've called in the FBI. This is something too many in the town are connected to. We don't want to take any chances of this monster walking away for what he put my daughter through. They should be landing in Portland shortly and someone will immediately escort the FBI to the funeral home so that they can begin their investigation."

Just then a small blonde nurse walked into the room, "Dr. Cullen, Miss Swan has been moved to room 303."

"Thank you, Carmen." My father replied before looking at us, "We should do two at a time. She hasn't woken up yet, but I'm fairly sure she will shortly. She's gone through something traumatic and her brain has shut down briefly so that she can process what is happening."

I looked at Charlie and I'm sure he could see it in my eyes that I was begging to see her. He stepped forward and nodded back at me. I followed closely as we walked down the hall behind my father. He stopped by a door and told us to go ahead.

I took one last deep breath before I entered the room.

**Epilogue next :o) **

**Review please ...**


	10. Epilogue

**I don't own the characters, Stephanie Meyer does :(**

**Hey! Thanks for the reviews! Sorry I didn't post this sooner. I just started reading the Nightwalkers series and I'm hooked. Although, I don't really enjoy that some of their character names are the same as Twilight. Coincidence? Anyways, I'm only on the 2nd book of the series but it's pretty good reading so far. A lot more adult than Twilight though. **

**Epilogue**

**BPOV**

I was sitting on the swing located on the front porch of our house. I had a book on my lap but I was more focused on looking out into the forest. It was a beautiful day and the wind was gently blowing. It was calming, yet I couldn't find it in myself to let go and enjoy the moment. I was bothered and I knew exactly what the problem was. It was the same problem I had been dealing with for the past few months. I just felt uneasy.

I sighed and looked around the yard. This was the perfect place. It was a beautiful home with lots of rooms to fill with children. The town was small and everyone knew everyone. It was a place you could feel safe and happy. But that was the problem right there, I didn't feel safe. Not after everything that had happened. Everyday I would awake with a huge weight on my chest. I wanted it gone, but I didn't know how to get rid of it.

My father and Edward were fairly confident that once the trial was over, that I would be happy again and feel free. I wasn't so sure. Sure, once the trial was all done and he was gone forever, I'd be happier. But would I really be safer? I had always thought Forks was the safest place on earth. Like I said before, everyone knew everyone. You couldn't get away with anything without the whole town knowing, and yet right in front of our noses there was a monster. One that had almost won. The game... killing me.

I shivered again but I knew it wasn't from the wind. I took a deep breath and held it for a few moments before releasing it. The therapist I was seeing said that this would help me relax and calm myself back down. I use to have plenty of panic attacks in the beginning, but I was in more control over them now.

I gently grasped the necklace laying around my neck. I knew it would calm me instantly. It had belonged to my mother. I had thought at the time of her death, that she had lost this necklace in the accident. Forever laying on the forest floor somewhere. How wrong had I been. I thought back to a few weeks after I returned home from the hospital. My dad ended up sharing some rather disturbing news.

_Flashback_

_I sat near the window and stared out into the backyard. I hadn't left the house since Edward had brought me home three weeks ago. I wasn't ready. Thankfully, everyone understood this. They usually all came over here. I was fine and I was happy with that. But I knew I couldn't stay locked in here forever. Maybe just a little longer._

_"Love?" I heard Edward call. I turned and looked at him. He smiled a little and said, "Your dad just pulled up. He wanted to come and talk to us about something. Mom and dad are just getting things out of the kitchen for your dad."_

_I nodded and stood. I went over to Edward and he wrapped his arm around me as we went to the door together. It was an exercise I had to start working on, or so the therapist had said. I needed to start answering the front door and not fearing who was on the other side. So far, Edward stayed with me the whole time. But I still felt the occassional moment of panic rise in me, just before I opened the door and saw someone on the other side._

_We went to the door and I opened it while Edward gently squeezed my shoulder. "Hi, Dad." I whispered out when I saw him._

_He didn't seem too happy, actually, he didn't seem happy at all. There was a frown on his face. He tried smiling but I could tell it was fake. "Hey, Baby. I need to speak with you and Edward. Oh, Esme and Carlisle are here too. Well this will be less people I have to track down and talk to. Let's all go into the livingroom."_

_I felt the panic begin to rise again. He didn't have good news and I wasn't sure if I wanted to know this. My father sat on one of the chairs, while Esme and Carlisle grabbed the loveseat and Edward and I sat on the couch._

_Charlie took a deep breath and said, "Well the FBI are pretty much done their investigation. They have all the evidence they need to prosecute Aro properly. This is going to be quite the case, so they gave me the heads up so that I could..." he trailed off and then looked at me, "So that I could prepare you for what was about to happen."_

_I swallowed the lump in my throat and croaked out, "What's going on?"_

_He ran his hand down his face and said, "You weren't the only one, Bella."_

_"What?" Edward asked beside me as I started squeezing his hand tightly._

_"The FBI, well they found some kind of shrine." He shook his head in disgust as he continued, "There were pictures of numerous people. Much like the picture they found of Bella. Hers was at the very end of the shrine. She was laying in the open casket and looking at the camera, much like the other photos found."_

_"I remember," I whispered out. "He took a picture and I had cut myself on it. That was when I realized that I wasn't... dead."_

_Dad sighed, "Yes. All these photos were the same."_

_"What does that mean, Charlie?" Esme asked the question everyone had been thinking._

_"It means he was a serial killer, Esme. He had killed many people. Probably much the same way he was trying to with Bella. He must have had them all convinced they were already dead and he had them all..." he trailed off._

_"Burried alive," Carlisle finished as Esme gasped and covered her mouth. You could hear the utter disgust in voice._

_Dad nodded and continued, "All the photos they found. Well they had to contact those families and excavate the bodies. Most coffins were found with scratch marks along the inside of the coffin, which confirmed their theory."_

_"How many people, Charlie?" Edward asked._

_"In the Forks area, about 125 to 160 people." Dad mumbled out._

_I outburst at this, "How? How did he kill so many people and no one knew! No one knew a damn thing!" I was beginning to panic._

_Edward pulled me back into his arms and rocked me gently as he whispered in my ear, "Calm down, Love. Charlie is trying to tell us everything. Either way it's going to be hard to accept it. What Aro did was disgusting. But, we need to know everything."_

_I nodded a little and turned back to my Dad when he started again, "He's lived here for 25 years. The FBI figure he probably killed about six people a year. But then again, most thought these people had died already. Aro was sedating them and then convincing them they had died. It was a sick and twisted game he was playing at. He came across accident scenes first sometimes and took the opportunity to get another victim. No one was the wiser. The FBI are currently looking into where he worked before to determine if it was something he started in Forks or not. But as far as all the evidence they've gathered here, Aro will get multiple life sentences here alone. It's just hard for some families to now accept that their loved ones weren't dead, and that they were in fact, burried alive. It's a hard truth to know you played a hand in killing someone you loved."_

_"Dad," I whispered out, "No one could have known. It was just luck that you guys found me in time. It was luck that Esme was running late that day and luck that Edward heard me. I don't blame any of you, and no one should blame themselves. I'm learning that in therapy, that the sole blame lies with Aro."_

_"Oh Bells... That's not just it." My father broke down a bit and I saw tears coming down his cheeks._

_"What else?" I asked terrified. How much else could there be? I was barely holding myself together as it was._

_He chocked back his sob and said quietly, "Your mother's picture was in his shrine."_

_"NO!" I jumped up and shouted. I shook my head back and forth. I could feel Edward try to grab me but I pushed him away. "NO!" I shouted again as tears filled my eyes, "It was a drunk driver. She's dead because of that driver." I shook my head in disbelief. No, no, this wasn't true. I turn to my father and got angry, "DON'T LIE!" I shouted at him again._

_He cried harder then, "I'm so sorry, Baby. Her photo was there and they've dug up her grave like the others."_

_"Don't!" I whispered out breathlessly. "Please!" I begged him._

_He wiped the tears from his cheek, "There were marks on the inside of her coffin much like the others."_

_A wail escaped my lips as I fell to the floor, "Oh god." I wrapped my arms around myself, seeming to try and hold myself together. I felt Edward wrap his arms me and squeeze me tightly to his chest. We sat on the floor for nearly two hours. Together we cried and together we all mourned the death of my mother once again. We mourned that she was murdered and we mourned for the life she could have had._

I wiped the tears that escaped my eyes as I thought of that memory. It had been almost two months since that day. I still sometimes found it hard to believe. Among some of the things the FBI had found was a chest filled with memorabilia Aro had kept from his victims.

My mothers' chain had been in there. The FBI had enough evidence that they didn't need every piece inside the chest. Some were given back to family members, including me, who received my mothers favourite necklace. My dad had it cleaned thoroughly and even bought a new chain for the charm. I held onto it sometimes like it was a lifeline.

"Hey," Edward said as he came out of the house. He sat on the swing next to me and took the book from my lap and placed it on the railing. "How are you doing?"

I shrugged, "Ok, I guess."

"You ready for next week?" He asked as he ran his hand down my arm.

I shook my head, "No," I whispered out. "I don't think anyone is ever ready to do this kind of thing. But Kate has been preparing me. Getting me ready for what it will be like to talk about what happened."

He nodded and kissed my head, "I'm so proud of you, Love. The whole family will be there to support you. I wouldn't dare leave you alone."

"You better not," I muttered out.

I took a deep breath and thought about what was going to happen next week. The trial was currently going on at this very moment. Next week, I was asked to testify about what happened. It was pretty much required since I was the only surviving victim. The lawyer said I would speaking for everyone he killed, which seriously put on a hell of a lot of pressure. Aro pleaded not guilty. Stupid bastard for having to make me testify. Kate, my therapist, said it was his final game. He wanted to break me even further. Cause as much damage as possible and make me wish I had died in that hole. Kate was working with me everyday now to help me prepare for next week. She knew it was going to be hard for me to face him again, but she was trying to help me win this.

He wasn't going to break me again.

This time, he wouldn't win.

**That's it ! The End **

**Review please and thanks for all the support throughout the story**

**Till next time ...**


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